WREX

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WREX is NBC-affiliated Channel 13 in Rockford, Illinois. It is the market’s only full‑power VHF station and one of Rockford’s oldest TV outlets. The station’s studios and transmitter are on Auburn Road west of the city.

WREX began operation on October 1, 1953, as a CBS affiliate. It shared ABC programming with WTVO (channel 17) and also aired DuMont. The call letters honor Rex N. Caster, son of the station’s founding president. In its early years, WREX drew viewers from nearby Madison, Wisconsin, and even helped cover parts of that area.

In the mid-1960s WREX became an ABC affiliate full-time. It was the first Rockford station to broadcast in color (1966). The station changed ownership several times: Gannett bought it in 1963, then Gilmore Broadcasting in 1969, ML Media Partners in 1987, and Quincy Newspapers in 1995. In August 1995, WREX swapped networks with WTVO, taking WTVO’s NBC affiliation while WTVO joined ABC. This switch was part of a larger reshuffling in the region.

WREX has shifted ownership again in the 21st century. Quincy sold the station to Allen Media Group (AMG) in 2021 as part of a larger deal. AMG carried WIFR‑LD on a WREX subchannel to ensure full local coverage. In 2025 AMG announced plans to cut local meteorologist positions and began exploring strategic options for the company. In August 2025, Gray Media Group announced it would buy AMG’s stations, including WREX, creating a triopoly in Rockford with WIFR‑LD and WSLN.

WREX broadcasts NBC on digital channel 13.1. It also operates several subchannels: 13.3 MeTV, 13.4 Court TV, and 13.5 Justice Network. The station shut down its analog signal in February 2009 and continued on digital channel 13 (its original VHF channel). The station has maintained partnerships with local media and weather services to support its news and programming.